Keeping surfaces clear for winter parking lot and sidewalk maintenance
Contents
Keep Surfaces Clear=
Winter Maintenance Basics=
- Anti-ice before the storm.
- Remove snow from surfaces as quickly as possible to reduce compaction.
- Plow before applying deicers to avoid dilution of the salt.
- Minimize deicer use during the storm.
- Never plow or blow snow into bodies of water, wetlands, traffic or into streets.
- Minimize back-up maneuvers to reduce chance of accidents.
- Limit use of salt and sand during the storm; use only to reduce bonding.
- Do not use salt to burn off snow.
- Use application rate chart to determine how much salt to use.
- Don’t apply dry salt (sodium chloride) below 15º F pavement temperature. It will not melt fast enough to help.
- Below 15° F, use a wetted salt.
- For extreme cold, skip melting and use sand.
- Clean up spills.
- Accurately record the material used at each site.
- Pay attention to its effectiveness and record observations.
- Use only what is needed based on proper application rates for the conditions.
- Put extra back in salt pile or return extra bags.
Information: 
Because it uses less materials, mechanical snow and ice removal is the best strategy for protecting the water
Because it uses less materials, mechanical snow and ice removal is the best strategy for protecting the water.
Loading/hauling
- Don’t overfill the truck or spreader: material will spill out as it is driven or pushed. This is a common practice and wastes salt.
- Large snow piles may need to be hauled to another site.
- Schedule this work when the mall or facility is closed to minimize conflicts with vehicles and pedestrians.
- Clean up loading area, sweep extra back into the pile.
Deicing/Anti-Icing Information
Anti-icing=
Anti-icing is the most cost-effective and environmentally safe practice in winter maintenance. This is the direction to pursue.
Anti-icing is a proactive approach. It should be first in a series of strategies for each winter storm. Applying a small and strategic amount of liquid on the pavement before a storm will prevent snow and ice from bonding to the pavement. This buys time for the clean-up efforts.